Currently 19th in the Premier League table, The Magpies are looking to appoint Dan Ashworth of Brighton & Hove Albion as their director of football, hoping to stay up after a terrible start this season. Having appointed Eddie How as a manager in early November, they have managed just one win thus far in the league.
Brighton have given Ashworth the green signal to hold talks with the Tyneside club. Although the Seagulls are desperate to retain their man, they reckoned it would be counter-productive to not let him have a conversation with the bosses of the club.
Ashworth is one of the most highly rated sporting directors in the country, who previously had worked as the tecnical director at the Football Association, playing a crucial role in the rise of many English talents. He is often credited for great run England have had across major tournaments.
He was also in charge of the Women’s national team when they got a Bronze in the 2015 World Cup and reached the semifinals in the 2017 Euros.
The new owners seem to have a very extensive plan for the development of their men’s team, women’s team and youth setup, but their overriding concern taking all priority is the men’s first team. A lot of their plans depend on whether their first team remains in the first division.
Newcastle completed a sensational takeover from a Saudi-backed consortium involving business tycoon Amanda Staveley last October. A number of Premier League clubs opposed the move, but it eventually went through as there were written promises made that there will be no involvement of the Saudi Arabian government in the functioning of the football club.
Staveley has already recruited Nicky Hammond, former director of football at Reading, temporarily to help the club with their winter signings. The wealth and experience Ashworth brings to the table could be the exact boost Newcastle require at this point in time to ensure they stay up in the Premier League next season.
